With QB McHargue on mend, Rice expects offensive improvement

Published 8:10 pm, Monday, October 8, 2012

The Rice offense hasn't been the same since quarterback Taylor McHargue injured his left shoulder in the Owls' 54-51 overtime loss to Marshall on Sept. 22.

The Rice offense hasn't been the same since quarterback Taylor McHargue injured his left shoulder in the Owls' 54-51 overtime loss to Marshall on Sept. 22.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool

With QB McHargue on mend, Rice expects offensive improvement

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A few weeks ago, the Rice Owls showed just how explosive their offense can be.

Since then, the Owls have seen it come to a screeching halt in sluggish loses to Houston and Memphis.

"We've got to get this thing on track," head coach David Bailiff said Monday.

Just where the offense got off track is traceable to the final minute of regulation Sept. 22 against Marshall. More specifically, the end of a 47-yard run by third-year quarterback Taylor McHargue, who while diving for the end zone landed awkwardly and injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

Injury hurts offense

Bailiff said the Owls were "picking up a nice momentum offensively" at the time of McHargue's injury. And who can argue, with the Owls piling up 51 points and a season-high 647 yards in the double-overtime loss to Marshall?

In the two weeks since, McHargue had to sit out a 21-point loss to Houston and was limited in his return during Saturday's 14-10 loss at Memphis.

"This football team believes in Taylor," Bailiff said. "We know we have some playmakers, and when it's their time to make plays, we've got to have them."

After leading 10-0 at halftime, Rice managed two first downs and 52 yards in the second half against Memphis. Along the way, the Owls were hurt by dropped passes, missed assignments, penalties and bad field position.

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Sudden slowdown

A comparison of the Rice offense from the first four games of the season to the last two:

First four games

Avg. Avg. Avg. Pts. yds. rush pass

34.3 472 228.5 242.9

Last two games

12 282 86.5 195.5

"We didn't get it done," running back Turner Petersen said. "We have much higher expectations for the week to come. I think you'll see the Rice offense you saw in the first four weeks."

During a 1-3 start, the Owls averaged 34.3 points and 432 yards. In the last two games, the Owls have averaged 12 points and 282 yards. They have scored three touchdowns during that stretch.

Added options

Without McHargue, the team's leading rusher, the Owls were held to a season-low 69 yards on the ground against Houston. The inability of McHargue to effectively use his left shoulder kept the Owls from using the option - an integral part of the offense - against Memphis.

McHargue did not experience any soreness in the shoulder after the game, and the Owls "will be able to bring a lot of the option back this week" in a non-conference game against UTSA, Bailiff said.

But is it too late? At 1-5, the Owls must win five of their final six games. Otherwise, the team will fail to reach the necessary six wins for bowl eligibility for a fourth consecutive season.

"We have a belief that we're a good football team. Our record doesn't show that," Bailiff said. "But if you talk to the players, we believe in ourselves. We believe we're a lot better.

"We're getting tired of the lessons learned by losing. I'm ready to learn some lessons from winning."